While many energy analysts are predicting a sharp increase in oil prices in the coming months as a worldwide economic recovery takes hold and demand from China and India increases, Saudi Arabia says it will work to mitigate that rise. Saudi Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Saud says his country has the capacity to play that role for some decades to come.

In his speech to energy industry representatives and academics at the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Saud emphasized his nation's commitment to a stable oil market. He said the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's ample oil reserves of over 264 billion proven barrels give it the power to offset sharp increases in demand.

"As the demand for oil continues to rise, especially in China and India, the kingdom has every intention of meeting that demand," said the prince.

...

As for the Saudi prince's call for more transparent reporting on energy use in China and other large consumer nations, Jaffe says this could help control speculation and stabilize the market. "There are questions about Chinese oil demand," said Jaffe. "Were they buying for their strategic reserve or was that fundamental growth in demand? When the market cannot know for sure you get these movements in price."

Thus price surges are more the result of market confusion and speculation rather than long-term fundamentals, he seems to believe.